The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System (SAVAHCS), previously known as the Tucson VA Medical Center, began its existence in an abandoned popular recreation spot, located about13 miles north of town along the road to Oracle Junction.  This recreation spot known as Pastime Park, featured at different times, a skating rink, bowling alley, dance hall, and a notorious roadside tavern.

By late summer 1919, the end of World War I (WWI) brought over three million veterans back into society.  An estimated 50,000 WWI veterans suffered from debilitating respiratory ailments. 

By December 1, 1918, nearly 6,000 veterans were being treated for tuberculosis in facilities in Europe and the United States according to information written by Alex Jay Kimmelman dated January 12, 1988, which is also found in the “Journal of Arizona History,” (Vol 31, No. 1, Spring 1990, pp 19-42.)

Although 17 facilities existed in the United States, Public Health Service officials concluded that with a return of over 250,000 veterans who received disabilities as a result of military service during the war, their bed space would be gravely inadequate.  Victims of poison gases did not cause tuberculosis, the damage it caused to the victims lung cells left the patient susceptible to bronchitis, heart disease, and consumption of asthma.  Many veterans traveled around the country looking for the best treatment and climate for their condition.  Between 1919 and 1928, over 3,500 of these veterans were treated at the temporary facility located at Pastime Park.

Through the efforts of men such as Dr. Neill MacArtan, the first director at the temporary facility at Pastime Park and Orville McPherson, a civic booster, attention was brought to the needs of the veterans being treated at the temporary hospital.  Their efforts were joined by business and fraternal associations, church groups and social clubs.  Eventually Tucson was able to provide medical services to the many veterans coming here because of the climate and obtained federal funds to support this cause.  Mr. Kimmelman stated in his history of the temporary veterans hospital that the fiscal efforts of opening a VA hospital should not be underestimated.  The hospital soon became Tucson’s third largest employer.

The majority of the veterans arriving in Tucson were destitute as well as invalid.  For them the tent city, known as Tentville or Bugville, existed about one mile north of the University of Arizona. To escape the terrible conditions found in Tentville, some veterans began squatting at the abandoned Pastime Park.  The unsupervised conditions at Pastime Park began to raise concern among local citizens.

According to Mr. Kimmelman’s history, Mrs. Frances Blair, Executive Secretary for the local Red Cross, informed the Pacific Division of the Red Cross of the terrible dilemma these ill veterans faced.  She received approval from Dr. J. D. Long to search for suitable land.  Her search led her to Pastime Park.

Another individual who greatly influenced the establishment of the temporary veteran’s hospital at Pastime Park was Dr. Neill MacArtan, a native of North Carolina.  He served as medical officer on General Pershing’s staff in 1916 and because he contracted tuberculosis, he was discharged from the army.  During WWI, he reenlisted as a foot soldier.  After recognizing his abilities, he was commissioned as a lieutenant as a medical officer.  In the fall of 1919, he received orders from Washington to proceed west to find a locale where the conditions favored the treatment of tuberculosis.  He left his wife and a young son in North Carolina because he feared they might contract tuberculosis.  His travels eventually brought him to Tucson and Pastime Park.

Dr. MacArtan and Mr. McPherson diligently worked together to find financial support.  In early 1920, the immediate needs were renovating the buildings and obtaining medical equipment.  Finally with the efforts of Congressman Carl T. Hayden, Pastime Park received an initial grant of $25,000 to develop quarters and obtain material.  Equally important, the facility then came under the control of the U.S. Public Health service and became know as Veterans Hospital #51.

The initial hospital began with three existing buildings at Pastime Park.  One brick building housed the boiler and two adobe buildings were used as a ward and a kitchen.  Over the years, the facility grew to a total of 86 buildings.  The staff included Dr. MacArtan, a head nurse, and two ward nurses.  The facility faced great financial and negative publicity challenges.  Then on February 9, 1922, Dr. MacArtan at the age of 40 passed away.  By this time the facility had reached its greatest level of development and remained this way until the new hospital opened.

Through the efforts of community leaders and organizations such as the American Legion Morgan McDermott Post #7 , the Disabled American Veterans, the Chamber of Commerce and businessman Albert Steinfeld’s offer of 116 acres south of town as a donation for a construction site.  Congress approved a formal offer for a new hospital. The groundbreaking took place October 4, 1927.  On August 28, 1928, Veteran’s Hospital #51 opened its doors.